Animation studio, Factory, has confirmed that it’s been placed into creditors’ voluntary liquidation.
It’s believed that 8 staff have been made redundant.
The Altrincham-based studio is behind major, award-winning programmes including Scream Street, Strange Hill High, Clangers and Newzoids. However, according to Conrad Pearson and Patrick Lannagan of liquidators, Mazars, it’s been hit by the production slowdown and a change in viewing habits:
“Over the last 12 months the number of projects being green-lit by broadcasters around the world has been severely cut as the global economy and audience behaviours have changed markedly; these challenging market conditions were a significant factor in the insolvency of the business,” they said in a statement.
Factory was a big North West success story and part of the thriving animation scene in Greater Manchester. Its award-winning formats were sold around the world and it collaborated with Simpsons’ writer and producer, Josh Weinstein. It also worked with The Muppets’ Jim Henson Company to develop Rebecca Green’s How To Make Friends with a Ghost.
In an interview with Prolific North in 2014, founder, Phil Chalk revealed that turnover was £4m and it was employing around 90 staff, having tripled in size.
In 2017 it announced plans to open a state-of-the-art studio to work on traditional and modern animation techniques, creating “upwards of 40 jobs.”
An auction of its assets, including some of the Newzoids puppets has just been completed.
